Communication Studies (Analysis and Decision-Making) - Master of Arts (Online)

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Students must receive a minimum grade of B- or better in all required courses. Students receiving a C+ or lower will have to retake any required class.

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Two courses (6 credits) with the number 4500-4999 can be counted. Please coordinate with the Global Program Coordinator, Graduate Director, or Department Head for Communication Studies to select the appropriate courses to meet this requirement. Suggested electives include: COMM 4520 Small Group Communication, COMM 4620 Deception and Communication, COMM 4720 International Communication, COMM 4730 Environmental Communication, COMM 4750 Health Communication, COMM 5110 Theories of Communication, COMM 5120 Persuasion Theory, COMM 5130 Quantitative Research Methods, COMM 5140 Qualitative Research Methods in Communication, COMM 5210 Political Communication, COMM 5220 Communication Technologies, COMM 5230 Strategic CommunicationCOMM 5310 Sports Communication, COMM 5530 Leadership Communication COMM 5550 Case Studies in Leadership Communication, COMM 5560 Ethics & Diversity in Leadership Communication, COMM 5610 Interpersonal Communication, COMM 5630 Family Communication, COMM 5640 Nonverbal Communication, COMM 5710 Communication and Culture, COMM 5996 Special Topics, COMM 5997 Independent Study, COMM 5998 Communication Internship for Graduate Students, AXED 5110 Management of Change, Diffusion, and Adoption of Innovations, AXED 5320 Risk and Crisis Communications in Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, and/or MGMT 503 Organizational Behavior and Management Processes.

To graduate, students will need a total of 36 credits, of which 18 credits must be from the required COMM coursework listed under Degree Requirements. Eighteen additional credits can be from COMM or any other program. Only 6 credits of 4500-4999 courses will count toward the degree. COMM 5994 MA Project, should be taken in the last two 8-weeks of terms of the students spring or fall semester. Please consult the Global Program Coordinator, Graduate Program Director, or Department Head about the specific requirements and how to complete them to graduate.  

The Graduate School requires that students maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU. The Department of Communication Studies requires that a grade of B- or higher must be earned in all COMM courses, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher is required to graduate.

The following course sequencing requirements must be satisfied for the MA in Communication Studies:

1. COMM 5530 Leadership Communication  should be completed in the student's first semester or as soon as the course is offered.
2. Six credits of COMM 5994 MA Project should be completed in the student's last semester or the spring semester before a student that will graduate in the summer semester. 

Students requesting transfer credit for any graduate courses taken from another institution must submit a written justification, including course syllabi and transcripts to the department head during their first semester of studies.

Final Examination for the Degree: 

A student will satisfy the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam by completing the Analysis and Decision-Making concentration's necessary coursework, supplemented or modified requirements for the concentration, and an additional 18 credits of graduate-level coursework for the MA in Communication Studies to complete a minimum of 18 credits of COMM or Communication Studies courses and 18 additional courses from other departments or COMM. The following three criteria must be met by the end of their final semester or at the end of a subsequent semester during which graduate level courses are taken or retaken to meet the specified cumulative GPA. 

1. The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all courses taken as a graduate student at NMSU, including those taken in COMM and approved electives taken in other departments at NMSU, and courses to fulfill the requirements of the concentration or MA, or approved course substitutions including any MAP courses used to satisfy the graduate degree or concentration. 
2. The student must complete all required and elective courses, or approved course substitutions including any MAP courses used to satisfy the graduate degree or concentration with a B- or better and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. 
3. The student must complete six credits of COMM 5994 MA Project. However, with special approval, a degree candidate may elect to write a thesis with at least 6 credit hours earned under COMM 5999 Master's Thesis in lieu of COMM 5994 MA Project. Both courses require satisfactory completion.
   1. The project student must successfully complete all coursework and pass 6 or more credits of COMM 5994 MA Project. Projects are directed by students advisor. By completing a professional project and oral presentation of the student’s project, the project serves as the culmination of the program required for graduation and thus, along with earning a B- in all coursework and a GPA of 3.0 or higher, the student has met and satisfied the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam. Non-thesis project students do not need to defend their project to a committee; successful completion of 6 project hours and an oral presentation of their project of at least 15 minutes, approved by their advisor, meets the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam. Project students do not need to defend to a committee or submit the Master's Final Examination Form in order to meet the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam. 
   2. If a student is approved for a thesis the student must successfully complete all coursework, pass six credits of COMM 5999 Master's Thesis, and successfully complete and pass a committee oral defense. Thesis students must defend their thesis before a committee, including their advisor from the Department of Communication Studies, one additional Graduate Faculty member from the Department of Communication Studies, and a Graduate Faculty member from any department outside of the Department of Communication Studies. Students must submit the Master's Final Examination Form with all necessary signatures to the Graduate School at least ten working days before their oral defense.  

A student who fails to meet one or both previous criteria may, during one or more subsequent semesters, may take or retake additional graduate-level courses to increase their cumulative GPA, thereby satisfying the Graduate School's requirement for a final exam.

Note: The Department of Communication Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences reserve the right to change the published requirements. Any such changes will be announced and will not be retroactive without the consent of the Head of the Department of Communication Studies. Currently, all required courses are offered once each year except for some electives. Always consult with the Graduate Coordinator for NMSU Global, the Graduate Student Advisor, or the Department Head of Communication Studies. 

Concentrations:  Students NMSU Global program may elect to pursue any of several concentrations and can complete two concentrations in earning the MA in Communication Studies:

• Leadership Communication